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Re: MahA VidvAn Sri U.Ve. PerukkAraNai Swamy ' ThiruppAvai Monograph: Selected Excerpts: Part VIII-> Vyatthu VaazhvIrkAl Dinam :Second day of Dhanur Maasam

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Sadagopan • December 17, 2000 


Srimathyai GodhAyai Nama:
SrimathE RaamAnujAya Nama:

Dear BhakthAs:

Introduction to the Second ThiruppAvai Paasuram
************************************************
In the first Paasuram , ANDAL described that 
Sriman NaarAyaNan ALONE is our Saviour with
the statement : "NaarAyaNaE NamakkE Parai
TharuvAN" . Our Lord's Thiruvadi was revealed by
ANDAL as "PrApya PrApaka Sangraham ",the essence 
of the means and the ultimate goal (PurushArtham ) 
for our Moksham in the spirit of Swamy NammAzhwAr's 
Paasuram set in KuraL VeNNpA (KuraL Metre):

KaNNan kazahliNai-- naNNUm manamudayeer 
YeNNUm ThirunAmam-- tiNNam NaaraNamE 
--ThiruvAimozhi: 10.5.1

(meaning): Oh People of the World (Vyatthu-VaazhveerkAL) 
aspiring to reach as the Supreme goal of this life 
on Earth , the sacred feet of Lord KrishNA , meditate
on His most important naamam , NaarAyaNA . Do it 
without fail. That meditation will be rewarded
most assuredly by Sriman NaarAyanan.

In the second Paasuram ( Vaitthu VaazhveerkAL ) ,
ANDAL describes about what is KARTHAVYAM( to be done) 
and what is THYAAJYAM ( to be discarded ).ANDAL
mentioned in the first paasuram , what the Lord will
do for the ChEthanams and in the second Paasuram , She
lists what chEthanams should do to qualify for His grace.

The Meaning of the Second SlOkam by Sr.V.K.S.N.Raghavan
********************************************************

" Oh People who reside in this world! May You listen to
our austerities , which we are to follow during our 
Paavai Nonbhu.(We will observe this routine). We will
sing in praise of the holy feet of Paraman ( the Supreme
Purushan) that has taken to sleep (YoganidhrA) merrily
on the milky ocean. We will refrain from consuming ghee
and milk (till the end of our Nonbhu). At the early small
hours of the day  (dawn) , we will bathe (getting ourselves 
immersed )in the river; we will refrain from applying
collyrium (anjanam) to our eyes; we will not decorate 
our locks of hair (lit. bind our hairs ) with flowers; 
(we will abide by the holy text books (ShaasthrAs ); 
we will refrain from performing proscribed duties; 
we will not speak painful untruth; we will give liberally 
alms to those people , who seek for it and even to those , 
who do not seek for it (to SanyAsis);we will always 
contemplate upon the fair method to achieve the aim of 
purposeful life( Bhagavath-BhAgavatha-AchArya Kaimkaryams); 
and we will (thus)live a contented life . (This way , 
Oh dear girl, You may know our routine). { Refraining from 
doing wrong acts, through the path of VairAgyA (dispassion) 
one should adore the feet of KshIrAbdhisAyin (PaaRkkadaluL 
paiya-thyuinRa Paramandi paadi) is what is prescribed/insisted 
upon in this second paasuram)}.

Kathavyam and ThyAjyam : Kaayakam, Vaachikam & Maanasam
********************************************************
Observances to be practised during Marghazhi Nonbhu
****************************************************
(1)ANDL refers to KIRISAIGAL (Observances) in this paasuram.  
Karthavya kirisaikaL to be performed are of three kinds: 
Vaachikam , Kaayikam and Maanasam ( by one's speech , 
limbs and  mind).Singing /naama Sankeerthanam (paadi)
is  Vachika kaaryam ;taking bath , giving alms are kaayikam 
kaaryams; thinking about Him (yeNNi/reflecting on Him ) 
is the maanasika kaaryam.

(2) " eiyyamum Picchayum Andhanayum kai kaatti UyyumARu
yeNNI Uhanthu" Here the power of DhAnam (charities and
giving away wealth and time in spirit of Kaimkaryam ) 
is described in the context of Marghazhi Vratham . 

" eiyyam " refers to samarpanams to AchAryan.
"Picchai" refers to samarpaNams to SanyAsis and
charities to BrahmachAris. SanyAsi can also be 
an AchAryan in many cases like Srimath Azhagiya Singar ,
Srimath ANDavans , Sri VaanamAmalai Jeeyar ,Sriman NaarAyaNa 
Jeeyar and many other YathivarAs.

It is also said that description of BhagavAn's glories to 
His BhaagavathAs is "eiyyam" and the sharing of BhagavathA's
glories with the Lord is "Picchai". 

"Aandhanayum Kai Kaatti UyyumARu YeNNI ": To share our
wealth to the limit of our capacity is what is intended
here ("SraddhayA dhEyam" and "asraddhayA dEyam " of Taittiriya 
Upanishad is the context ). "Illai yennAthu eethalE nanRU"
is the Old Tamil proverb . " arthina: prathamE tasya
charamAn paryapUrayan " is Swamy Desikan's decription
of King Yathu , when it came to giving dhAnams to the limit
to those who sought them .

"UyyumARu YeNNI" : Our reason for sustenance (Ujjevanam)
is immersion in the limitless , auspicious GuNams of
our Lord in the spirit of Upanishadic statement: "RasO
Vai Saha" 

"UyyimARu YeNNI" has also been split this way
"Uyyum+aaRu+ yeNNI" and commented upon. Uyyum
means the way to Moksham . "aaRu YeNNI " means 
repeated reflections on those six doctrines that
Lord VaradarAjA gave to AchArya RaamAnujA through
Thirukkacchi Nampi . We seek the life of ParamaikAnthi
through conductance of our lives with these six guidelines
given by Lord VaradarAja of Kaanchi to AchArya RaamAnujA .

The "aaRU " referred to by ANDAL to Her fellow
gopis are the six mangaLa vasthus for women :

(1) Mettu in toes (Silver aabharanam for the toes)
(2) Valai ( bangles ) in hands
(3) Nose screw (4) ThirumAngalyam or sacred thread
on the neck (5) Tilakam on the forehead and (6)Pushpam
in their hair.  

Acts to be discarded during the Marghazhi Nonbhu
*************************************************
Vaachika , Kaayika , maanasika thyAjyams (acts to
be abandoned/rejected) are : 

(1)"TheekkuRalaic-chenROdhOm " ( we will not speak 
painful untruth and engage in purposeless talk ) 
is vaachika ThyAjyam ( to be abandoned by our speech). 

(2)"SeyyAthana seyyOm ": We will not think on subjects
that will lead us astray.(PraathikUlya Varjanam of 
SaraNAgathi anushtAnam is referred not only here 
but in all thyAjyams referred to above and below ).

(3) NeyyuNNOm PaaluNNOm ": We will not consume ghee and
milk , which are day to day items in the lives of Gopis .
(It is easy to reject exotic items in our lives rather than 
some thing that is part of "the pleasures of daily life" ).  
Bhagavan Naama Sankeerthanam takes the vratham observers's 
appetite away in the spirit of ANDAL's father's (PriyAzhvAr's 
Paasura Vaakhyams)statements :" uNNA nALL PasiyAvathu 
onRillai (NDP:438) and " nedumayAl ulahEzhum aLanthAi--
KooRai sORivai VeNDuvathillai.." (NDP: 436). Before ,
Ghee and Milk were Taarakam ( nourishment )for them ;
now Bhagavan Naama SankIrthanam and Hari KathA PaarayaNam
is their Taarakam .

The guidance here is : "EkAdasyAm Jaagaranam tathA 
( One has to be wide awake in following the prescriptions
and the proscriptions of EkAdasi Vratham ).Similar to 
observing the rites and rejecting those that are not
prescribed the Vratham is undertaken and completed.
Here , ANDAL connects such Karthavyam and ThyAjyam to
ThiruppAVai Vratham ( Nonbhu).

As additional thyAjyams , ANDAL vows that She and
Her fellow observants will not beautify themselves 
with flower in their hair and collyrium in their eyes
( Mai ittu yezhuthOm , Malarittu naam mudiyOm ).

" SeyyAthana SeyyOm " (Avoiding UpAya VirOdhis)
************************************************
ANDAL vows that during the Marghazhi Vratham ,
She and her friends will avoid Saasthra-Viruddha 
Kaaryams ( Those five acts prohibited for PrapannAs ):

(1) Akruthya KaraNam ( Para Himsai , Para sthOthram ,
    Para ThAra parigruham , Para dhravya apahAram ,
    asathya Kathanam and abhakshya BhakshaNam /
    Mental-Physical injury to others, praising 
    human beings , coveting other's wives, stealing other's
    property , telling untruth and eating items prohibited
    by ShAsthrAs ).

(2) Kruthya akaraNam ( Abnadoning the prescribed duties 
    (according to their ability ) ordained by ShAsthrAs.

(3) Bhagavath apachAram : DevathAnthara worship and 
    equating the glory of Sriman NaarAyaNA to other 
    Gods , Thought that Raama-KrishNa avathArams 
    as human births, UpAdhAna NirUpaNam in ArchAvathaaram
    of our Lord, AthtmApahAram ( thinking of Jeevan as 
    our property and dEhAthma Brahamam , Stealing of
    the property of the Lord (temple wealth set aside
    for His worship), taking money from those , who steal
    from BhagavAn's temples.

(4) BhAgavatha apachAram: Offending the hearts and minds of 
    the dear devotees of our Lord.

(5) asahyApachAram : intolerance to matters relating to 
    BhagavAn and His devotees; AchArya apachAram .

" Seyyum KirisaikaL kELIrO ": 
*****************************
ANDAL Appeals to the fellow-gOpis in the spirit of
"Bhadram karNEbhi: SruNuyAma:" (Listen to the glories of
the Lord as an integral part of the Vratham)and asks
them to observe the anushtAnams . These listening & observances
are of three kinds: (1) through Ears (2) "Through Vaak " and 
(3) Through Mind. 

In the first paasuram , ANDAL advised us that we 
should perform SaraNAgathi at our Lord's feet with
the utterance of Dhvaya manthram.Here , She points out
who qualifies for such anushtAnam (observance) and 
Uttara kruthyams ( the code of life after Prapatthi/
SaraNAgathi through a SadAchAryan).

Who Should we reflect upon?
****************************
ANDAL points out that we should meditate upon 
the Lord Sriman NaarAyaNan , who is sleeping 
joyously ( with UllAsam ) in the middle of 
Milky Ocean ( MadhyE Ksheera PayOdhi Sesha SayanE).

That Sriman NaarAyaNan is " PARAMAN"
************************************
The Greatest of the greatest One is our Lord,
who performs Yoga Nidhrai on Adhi Seshan in
the midst of the Milky Ocean reflecting on 
ways to come to our rescue ."Na Tath sama: 
Nabhyadhikasccha " ( There is none Equal to Him
or Superior to Him ).With Sri MahA lakshmi's 
sambhandham , He shines as Param JyOthi there
and becomes Parama Purushan and PurushOtthaman .

ANDAL addressed us as " Vaitthu VaazhverkAL " or 
the BhAgyasaalis , who got the difficult-to-obtain
Nara Janmam (Human birth) to observe the Vratham of
SaraNAgathi and follow the life of PrapannA afterwards
and qualify for Nithya Kaimkaryam in the Transcendent
world of Sri Vaikuntam.

ANDAL ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,
RaamAnuja Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan   


 


  
   

     


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